Behind the BTS comeback, the dark side of K-popSEOUL, March 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - K-pop oozes with talent, flair and hard work, but the spectacularly successful South Korean music industry also has a dark side -- sometimes with tragic results. "We can't help those who were given an opportunity for self-improvement but couldn't keep up with the others," Blitzers manager Oh Chang-seok told AFP in 2021. The balance of power between labels and K-pop stars was once heavily skewed, with "slave contracts" mandating unequal profit-sharing and binding artists for well over a decade. "Fans have come to occupy the role not of simple consumers but of participants who invest their emotions and time," Kim told AFP. Unlike many groups elsewhere, K-pop bands are assembled by agencies that invest time and capital to train them in a top-down system.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 20, 2026 15:16 UTC